List of longest rivers of the United States

Download coordinates as: The longest rivers of the United States include 38 that have main stems of at least 500 miles (800 km) long.

[1] The United States Geological Survey (USGS) defines a main-stem segment by listing coordinates for its two end points, called the source and the mouth.

Also a segment of the Saint Lawrence River forms the international border between part of the province of Ontario, Canada, and the U.S. state of New York.

"It seems," she said, "that the wisest course is to regard data tables such as the present one as showing the general ranks of rivers, and not to place too much importance on minor (10–20%) differences in figures.

Except in the "States, provinces, and map" column, abbreviations are as follows: "km" for "kilometer", "mi" for "mile", "s" for "second", "m" for "meter", and "ft" for "foot".

The Mississippi drainage basin includes the two longest main-stem rivers in the U.S. (the Missouri and the Mississippi) as well as 18 more of the rivers on this list.
The Mississippi drainage basin includes the Missouri and the Mississippi rivers, the two longest main-stem rivers in the United States, as well as 18 more of the rivers on this list. The Mississippi main stem is highlighted in dark blue.
Map of the Missouri River and its tributaries in North America
The Missouri River as seen in Montana.
Mississippi River basin
A small river flows from a lake.
Map of the Yukon River Watershed
Sunset over a large river flowing through mountains.
Map of the Rio Grande drainage basin
A small river winds through mountains under a rainbow.
Map of the Colorado River basin
A large river flows through a deep canyon.
The Arkansas River flows through Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, and its watershed also drains parts of Texas, New Mexico and Missouri.
Arkansas River headwaters in Colorado.
Map of the Columbia River drainage basin
A large river flows through a wooded gorge.
Map of the Red River watershed
Oxbow bend in a river seen from an airplane.
Map of the Snake River watershed
A river winds across a plain at the foot of jagged snow-covered mountains.
Map of the Ohio River basin
Modest skyscrapers, their images reflected in the water, line the bank of a wide placid river.
Map of the Colorado River and associated watershed
A small stream flows through an arid plain populated with low shrubs. Much of the surrounding soil is red.
Map of the Tennessee River watershed
The Tennessee River flowing through the Tennessee River Gorge.
Canadian River watershed (yellow) within the Arkansas River watershed
A small stream in arid country flows under a railroad bridge high above the water.
Map of the Brazos River watershed
A train crosses a bridge over a wide river.
Map of the Green River watershed
View from an airplane: A river meanders this way and that through a reddish-brown landscape.
Map of the Pecos River watershed.
A large river flows through a canyon.
Map of the White River watershed
A wide placid river flows by a low wooded hill.
The course and watershed of the James River.
A small stream winds through a town.
Watershed of the Kuskokwim River in Alaska
Men and boats along the shore of a very wide river.
Map of the Arkansas River basin with the Cimarron River highlighted.
A medium-sized river winds through a flat plain dominated by brown grasses.
Map of the Cumberland River Watershed
Several canoes pass under a bridge over a wide river in a forest.
Map of the Yellowstone River watershed
Large waterfall encased in ice.
North Platte River watershed and course
Canoers run rapids on a boulder-strewn river in the mountains.
The Milk River watershed
Sandstones of the Milk River Formation flank the Milk river at Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, Alberta.
Map of the Ouachita River watershed. The Ouachita joins the Tensas River near Jonesville, Louisiana to form the Black River (Louisiana).
A lock and dam on a medium-sized river
Map of the St. Lawrence/Great Lakes Watershed
A large ship travels along a large river bordered by vegetation on one bank and urban development on the other.
Map of the Gila River watershed
A shallow river with a sandy bed flows through an arid landscape.
Map of the Red River drainage basin, with the Sheyenne River highlighted
A small river rushes away from the base of a dam.
Course of the Tanana River, formed by the shorter Nabesna River (left) and Chisana River (right), then flowing northwest to meet the Yukon River
A shallow braided river flows over a plain partly covered by green plants and grasses. Jagged snow-covered mountains rise in the distance.
Map of the Smoky Hill drainage basin
A small, muddy river, as seen from a bridge, meanders between tree-lined banks.
Map of the Niobrara River (light blue)
A small river flows through a field of grass and yellow flowers.
A small river flows through a field of grass and yellow flowers.
Little Missouri watershed
A small river meanders through a landscape of forests, bluffs, and rocky outcrops.
Sabine River (right) and Neches River (left)
A wide river flows under a highway bridge.
Map of the Red River of the North
A small river flows through a prairie landscape; brown grasses and leafless trees line the banks.
The Des Moines River watershed
A placid river flows through a prairie landscape.
Map of the White River watershed
A small stream flows through grasses and shrubs at the base of a rocky hill.
Map of the Trinity River and its watershed
A middle-sized river flows by a factory with two tall smokestacks.
Map of the Wabash River catchment with the Wabash River highlighted.
A middle-sized river with sandy and grassy banks flows under a bridge.
Map of North America showing all rivers on this list.